Makarios Telos Happiness at Last
by A bundle of contradiction
Summary: Alfred talks about how Bruce Wayne could one day be happy. Relies on info from Obsidian Age. Update not guaranteed for a while. PG-13 just in case I get creative later on.
1. Makarios Telos

I've watched him for years. I can distinguish one facial expression from another as easily as I walk. I've seen him go from loneliness to love and back again half a dozen times. I've seen him get shot and heal more than any average human could survive. I've witnessed a whole span of emotions form him—everything from joy at finding Tim Drake capable of carrying on the role of Robin to ultimate grief and isolation when he withdraws into memories of his parents to frustration at knowing he's only one clue away form figuring out a criminal mastermind—everything but romance. No, Bruce Wayne has _romanced_ many women in his day, make no mistake. But true, sweet, passionate romance filled with love and joy—no. He knows passion, he knows sweetness, he knows romance & love & joy—but not all at once. Not in the way he needs to experience. And the only woman whom I suspect could ever make him feel like that has died with him. Oh yes, he did die. Many years ago. But before he died, he made sure that he kissed her. Neither of them probably had any idea what it meant, but I have formed my own suspicions…

He was processing evidence from the latest murder when the phone rang that day. When I answered, I was greeted by someone with whom I had never really gotten to converse.

"Wayne residence."

"Hello Alfred."

"Miss Prince?" I guessed cautiously.

"Yes, Alfred. It's Diana. I was wondering if you would—by any chance—be able to let me speak with Bat—Bruce."

"Why of course, Miss Prince. Let me see if he's not too busy."

"Thank you Alfred."

I went downstairs to see if he wasn't in a "bat-mood" and if he'd, for once, talk to someone on the phone like a gentleman.

"Master Bruce?" I called out.

"Yes? Who called?" he answered from the shadows without taking his eyes off the computer.

"Miss Prince, sir."

He hesitated. Not a very Batman-like thing to do, but he actually stopped moving and looked down, away from his computer. He finally looked back up at the computer.

"Well, Alfred, put her through."

"Excuse me sir?"

"I said, put her through, Alfred, I don't have to go upstairs to talk to her."

I wondered a bit about exactly what was going on. He almost _never_ talked to people on the line in the Batcave, unless he really trusted them or they actually called that line, such as Jim Gordon. But I hurried back upstairs to put Miss Prince through without another thought.

I was cleaning in the living room when he emerged from the Batcave.

"Alfred?"

"Yes sir? I asked, continuing to dust the tables around the room.

"We're having company tomorrow for lunch."

"Lunch, Master Bruce? Usually you only have guests at dinnertime."

"I don't want this to get interrupted. Dinner will most assumedly go along with another murder to which Batman must respond."

"Well then, I shall have an extra seat for lunch tomorrow."

"Thank you, Alfred." He turned to walk away and then suddenly pivoted back as if he had an urgent thought. "She likes Greek food, Alfred, Make her Greek food, will you?"

"Of course, Master Bruce."


	2. Aftermath

The next day, I had spent at least an hour preparing the unique Greek cuisine I had seen fit for Miss Prince's tastes. It was almost exactly noon when Bruce came rushing in the door from a meeting that had run late.

"Alfred, tell her I'll be ready in a few minutes," he called out on his way upstairs.

"Yes, Master Bruce," I responded as the doorbell rang. I went to answer it, leaving the kitchen without any chance of burning something.

"Good day, Miss Prince. Please come in," I greeted her, "Master Bruce just came in from a late meeting. He's getting changed as we speak." I winked at her as I said my last statement. She smiled at me and blushed a bit.

"Thank you Alfred, I appreciate that," she commented as she stepped inside the door, ducking needlessly under the high doorframe. She was obviously used to a typical door that wasn't as high as the custom doors made for the Waynes. She waited cautiously with her hands holding one another in front of her while I turned around and shut the door.

"He's right up the stairs, second door on your left." She looked at me in a bit of disbelief that I was serious, but then grinned and proceeded without another word up the stairs.

I was alerted to their presence on the first floor after almost 10 minutes with their loud voices causing quite a din out in the hall. I had been keeping things warm and ready for them, but I realized I still had yet to put anything out on the table. I rushed around and just finished putting the last dish on the table before they barged in through the doors, shouting at each other.

"Well, I was delusional at that point! I didn't mean to say anything I said when I had over a hundred-degree fever! But you wouldn't know that since you're not human!" He was shouting at her like he never had. I was surprised at the strength of his emotions behind the words.

"Are you saying that you didn't mean what you said, or that you just finally had no inhibitions and did and said what you wanted to? What did it mean to you? Did it mean anything to you? Anything at all?" She retorted, her fists clenched at her sides as she followed him in, clearly not happy with the answers she was getting.

"I'm saying you need to forget about it. It doesn't matter! Now can we eat, or are you planning on dying again, only this time it'll just be to save your heart?" He caught his breath at the last syllable, gasping at the shock of his outpouring of emotions. I could see he wasn't happy with his actions or his words at this point. He was being put in an emotionally difficult situation, and he didn't have his Bat-suit to hide behind this time. It was all out on the table, and he didn't have any defense except for avoiding the situation and getting his opponent to sit down and eat. It was almost sad for me to watch, knowing there must be strong feelings he could not express if he was this angry at only a question she had obviously asked.

I watched her reaction to what he had said now. I hoped she wouldn't leave, but would keep fighting so he wouldn't shut out yet another potential confidant would might be able to understand him. She was a warrior after all, why would she surrender?

"Bruce, all I wanted to know was how you broke the spell. How you saved me before Manitou killed me the first time. Why you kissed me. Why you held my hand when we died. Why it was so difficult to talk to each other when we got back to the Watchtower. I want to know if I..." She trailed off, obviously afraid of saying what she was about to say.

"If you what, Princess?" he challenged her.

"I'm not a princess. You know that. I was going to say, I want to know if...if there's something you have never told me. Something about us. About me. Is there something should know?" She avoided being honest quite well, I noticed. She said something differently than what she had been saying, but at least it was an answer.

"I have secrets, Diana. All of us do. Now can we eat?"

She hesitated, glancing towards the door. "Oh, all right. But not because of you. Only because Alfred went to all the trouble to make it."

I smiled at her when she said that. She wasn't giving up, she was only being polite. I liked that.

They sat down in silence and began eating without another word. I left them to eat in the kitchen, and came back a while later to be sure they didn't need anything. The sight in front of me, amazed me.


End file.
